Wednesday’s deserved victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium booked Pochettino’s team a meeting with Belgium in Seattle on Monday night (01:00 BST Tuesday).
It came at a cost.
Folarin Balogun, the 24-year-old former Arsenal prospect who launched the campaign with a brace against Paraguay, struck again just before half-time to open the scoring. He could easily have had a hat-trick—dragging one wide of the near post, seeing another ruled out for offside, and slicing a close-range effort onto the bar—but a little after the hour his evening, and possibly his World Cup, were cut short.
In what appeared a routine duel with Bosnia defender Tarik Muharemovic for a looping ball down the left, Balogun received a straight red. While shielding the ball, Muharemovic stepped in front and as Balogun’s foot came down it landed on the back of the defender’s ankle, causing a nasty twist. It looked accidental live, but Brazilian referee Raphael Claus, after viewing super slow-motion replays at the monitor, produced the red card.
The moment put Balogun further into the record books. On the same night he became only the third American to score three goals at a single World Cup, he also became the fourth player to both score and be sent off in a knockout tie—joining Brazil’s Garrincha (1962 semi-final), Ronaldinho (2002 quarter-final vs England) and France’s Zinedine Zidane (2006 final vs Italy).
An automatic one-match ban rules him out against Belgium, and FIFA could extend the suspension to cover a potential quarter-final and semi-final if the U.S. progress.
Ricardo Pepi, long linked with Fulham, is the likeliest replacement. The PSV forward hasn’t scored in his 184 minutes at this tournament, nor in the four pre-tournament friendlies; his most recent international goal came in a Nations League match in November 2024.
Defender Chris Richards said the squad is rallying around Balogun. He emphasized the “next man up” mentality, noting it’s a 26-man team and whoever steps in can do the job.
Pochettino added that the dismissal was the moment to prove their unity, saying the players made clear they were ready to fight. He praised the group’s growing legacy and the fans’ backing, finishing with: “Why not us?”